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Despite failing to earn a win in the month of March, the Revolution showed flashes of grit and resilience, fighting through a pair of shorthanded finishes. Who impressed the most? We break down the best of the best in March—and invite you to vote for your Player of the Month below.
March Player Awards
1. Sharp Shooter: Diego Fagundez
The chief goalscorer
Since Fagundez led the Revolution with 13 goals in 2013, fans have pined for a follow-up campaign. Three seasons later, he looks poised to answer the call. Fagundez stroked a long-distance finish against Houston (and later contributed a pair of assists). He consistently created space for himself to take shots on frame, collecting nine shots (four on goal) in March. And his movement in the attacking third made him a legitimate goal-scoring and assist-producing threat.
March was all about the golazo. But even away from his highlight-reel finish, Diego looked especially sharp. Could this be the year?
2. Johnny-on-the-Spot: Bobby Shuttleworth
The defender who bailed his team out of hot water
Overlook the communication breakdown in Houston that led to Cristian Maidana's goal, and Shuttleworth turned in a quietly-superb March campaign. He came to the Revs' rescue on numerous occasions: a pair of penalty-kick stops in Philly, a second-minute denial of David Villa (below), a second-half shutout while playing down a man. He continues to fly under the radar, though his 13 saves kept the Revs alive in a handful of early-season matches.
3. Bulldozer: Gershon Koffie
The middle-of-the-park enforcer
Koffie's physical, aggressive approach served him well for most of his March campaign. He covered a tremendous amount of ground out of the middle of the park and partnered with Scott Caldwell to bully opposing attacks. At month's end, he was averaging four tackles and two interceptions per match while connecting on 83 percent of his passes, best among regular starters not named Caldwell. His bulldozing ways hurt him (and the Revs) against NYCFC, when he picked up a second-half red card. But this physicality is what makes Koffie—and the Revolution midfield—tick.
4. Service Master: Chris Tierney
The champion of creating goal-scoring opportunities
Arguably the most talented left-footed player in MLS, Tierney hit the ground running in March. Poor finishing from his attacking teammates (like Teal Bunbury, below) kept him from picking up an assist, but did not keep him from creating goal-scoring opportunities. In March, he led the club with more than two key passes per match, almost a full pass more than runner-up Lee Nguyen. The assists will come for Tierney. And in all likelihood, so will more set-piece goals, like the one he drove off NYCFC midfielder Steven Mendoza and into the back of the net on March 26.
5. Closer: Daigo Kobayashi
The supersub who took advantage of limited minutes
The 33-year-old midfielder just keeps finding ways to contribute. At 5-foot-10, Kobayashi was one of the unlikeliest candidates to arrive on the end of Fagundez's 93rd-minute cross in Houston—but he found a pocket of space and leveled the match at the death. Daigo made each of his seven minutes count, scoring the last-gasp equalizer against the Dynamo and helping the Revs earn a 0-0 draw against D.C. United a week later. When the match reaches the 9th inning, it's Daigo time.
Vote for your Player of the Month below!